Time For The High Roller

We took our time over lunch at the Venetian but finally it was time to begin our trip back toward the Linq. We had show tickets and we didn’t want to miss out on riding that huge Ferris Wheel. The High Roller.

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The High Roller is at the bottom of the Linq promenade which makes it fun just to get to it with all kinds of shops and fountains along the way.

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We bought our tickets from the concierge at the Linq. The price changes from the daytime to nighttime rates at 5 pm. It was 4:30. We would get the day rate while enjoying a desert sunset.

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From the first time I saw the High Roller all I could think of was Star Wars. The white pods just made me think of something from one of those movies. It only needed a storm trooper!

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Inside wasn’t what I expected. I had heard of wedding parties renting the pods and bars set up in them but they hardly seemed big enough for a crows, especially a rowdy crowd intent on drinking. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been on a Ferris Wheel enclosed like this.

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The wheel is 550 ft high and the ride from start to finish is about 30 minutes. The pods move at about 1 ft/ sec and it never stops turning. Unlike a Ferris Wheel at a fair where it stops and starts to let passengers on and off, the passengers on the High Roller enter while the pod is slowly passing them by.

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Inside is like command central with 8 monitor screens letting you watch the pods above and below your own.

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Plus there the “talking head”. I found him very funny but Joe thought he was quite annoying. You’ll have to go and make your own decision.

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But no matter what, taking this ride at sunset was a perfect time. It was relaxing and beautiful, The huge windows allowing an amazing view.

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Alas, all things must come to an end and too soon we were back to the bottom preparing to step off the moving pod to good old terra firma.

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I highly recommend this. Even for my sister, who says she is afraid of heights.

Saturday Night in Vegas

When you think about it, JR and I  did an amazing job of coordinating our arrival  and finding each other amid the lights, bells , whistles and people in the hotel and casino.  As you can imagine after spending 3 days and nights on a greyhound bus, JR’s first priority was a shower and change of clothes. I was in better shape as I’d had a shower and fresh clothes before I left San Diego.

LINQ

The Hotel we are staying in is the LINQ, a part of the Caesar’s Palace empire. The Hotel was billed as one of the newest jewels in the Caesar Crown and I fell for it. I paid the upgrade because I wanted JR to have a great time as it was his birthday gift. It was a rip off. The hotel room was very basic. It didn’t even have a dresser or a coffee pot. The closet door was a curtain. The bathroom door was a sliding “pocket door” and it was shower only, no tub. Our cruise ship cabin was almost as big!

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About all I can say for it is that it was clean. The room was on the 18th floor but no balcony and security was tight. We had to show our room keys to a security guard whenever we went up in the elevator. At least that made me feel safe.

View  From Our Window , 18th floor of the LINQ

View From Our Window , 18th floor of the LINQ

We decided not to lug the cameras the first night and just roam around until dinner time. Anything interesting could be captured on the cell phone cameras and there was a lot of interest. One of my favorite things were the characters. It was almost like being in Disney.

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There was Olaf, Mickey and Minnie but there was also Elvis and Darth Vader, Marilyn Monroe and on and on.

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We enjoyed a very loud dinner at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and wandered over to the Bellagio for the fountain show. Along the way we passed the Eiffel Tower and Paris and The Flamingo Hotel. For neon lovers, Vegas at night does not disappoint!

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Yummy Pina Colada

 

On our return we stopped at the Linq Promenade for more colorful fountains and our first look at the High Roller, the biggest Ferris Wheel in the World! The pods make me think of Star Wars!

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LINQ Promenade and High Roller

Back in the hotel it didn’t take long to hit the hay.  I was  asleep before JR turned off the TV. Tomorrow I have the  obligatory presentation ( a 60 minute sales pitch) and then we’ll check out the mono rail and decide what we want to spend the day exploring.

They came in Waves

2 years ago we thought the show was pretty good but this year the launch far out-shown anything from 2012.

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I don’t know how many balloons made it up but they launched in waves. You watched them drift overhead and turned to follow them out of sight only to turn around to more balloons lifting into the air. We heard the goal was to get 80 balloons in the air. I think they made it.

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Music filled the air providing a sound track to the spectacle. Each balloon was unique. Bright colored traditional balloons rose side by side with whimsical animals and even a sci-fi Icon.

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Yes , there was even an 85 ft, 600 lb black balloon that struck fear in the hearts of the rebel alliance. Darth Vader himself rose from the ground to the strains of the Star Wars Overture. Darth was definitely the celebrity  of the day. Sadly he remained tethered and we never got to see him soar.

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Once of my favorite images was when a brightly colored balloon seemed to rise over Darth Vader ‘s helmet like a tiny moon. Several looked like they might not clear his 85 ft. height.

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Right next to us was large black and white balloon that turned out to be a giant Panda!

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As the balloon inflated children romped in its shadow.  What a thrill to be so close to the behemoth as it inflated!

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I was too close and then I wanted to zoom in on a more distant balloon. I was juggling lenses every few shots! Now I know why the photography team all hand at least 2 cameras around  their necks. Maybe next time I’ll have that extra camera too.

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